Sports Center

Two Southampton Wrestlers Crowned County Champions

When the dust settled, Southampton came away with two county champions at the Suffolk County Division II Championships at Center Moriches High School on Saturday.

Rafael Rokosz (220 pounds) and Peter Strassfield (285) both won their respective weight classes for the first time in their careers. Rokosz won his match by injury default. Facing Ryan Lewis of Center Moriches, Rokosz went to make a move on Lewis and accidentally dislocated his shoulder. Lewis stopped the match and was helped off to the side, giving Rokosz the victory and his first trip to the New York State Division II Championships, which begin Friday, February 22, at the Times Union Center in Albany. Rokosz is in just his second year of wrestling.

Strassfield pinned Kevin Giron of Hampton Bays with 48 seconds remaining in the match. He had a 9-2 lead before the pin. It’ll be the first time Strassfield will be heading upstate, although he is no stranger to the state wrestling stage. He was a state champion in the offseason this past summer.

Cody Nolan of Hampton Bays, wrestling for the 182-pound county title, was pinned in the second period by Babylon’s Brian Loskamp. Nolan had been battling the flu the past few days, and although he didn’t use it as an excuse, he was a bit sluggish throughout the match, having been called for stalling multiple times.

Left the old coach too giddy to sleep last night, very nice job boys. Kudos to assistant coaches Neko Gettling and Joe Dosch with much thanks to Julius Angilikus, Isaiah Thomas, Khomari Moses, Franklin Dominguez and Bubba Fisher for coming over and rolling with the big dogs!